Yesterday, after potluck about 20 of our teens decided to go sleding on the church grounds (we have 11 acres). They found some cardboard an old tyre from the tractor shed and other stuff and had a crazy old time. We've had about 4 inches of snow that has turned to solid ice.

I was wondering the halls of the church chasing my 2 year old. We ended up by a window watching the kids with some of the kids parents. I simply said "that looks like fun" and walked away with my son. I had a meeting to get to so I was going to deposit my son with my wife.

One of our Elders lost it!!! He called all the kids inside because they were breaking the Sabbath. He and the youth leader had an impromptu meeting with the kids to let em have it. Some of the parents were there.

It was said in the meeting that I (the pastor) had said it was ok. I guess saying "that looks like fun" is the same as saying its ok.

I guess I'm just too liberal and I'm not sure what all the fuss is about!....kind of! Well I suppose I do.

Laz ... It sounds to me like good old fashioned judging.

Some members see themselves as God's messenger to tell others how they should run their spiritual lives.

This is actually a very common affliction among Adventists. I am glad that you have not had to have much exposure to it so far in your life.

But ... GET USED TO IT.!!!

If the parents were not there, what could be done? Apparently it didn't bother them...

Having an Elder go ballistic would be minor compared to my Mom's reaction if she had caught me doing it, especially if I was in my "Sabbath best" clothes!

Lazarus - your comment wasn't saying you agreed with the activity, but not stopping it was saying you were in agreement with what the kids were doing.

What if one of the kids got hurt? Then you've got another Sabbath activity on your hands, and an expensive one on top of it!

Halfstep Denise

Hehehe...I would have been right there with them sledding my way downhill!

Don't get me started... I am sure this made a marked impression on the minds of that bunch of teens. I wonder how many of them went away from that little meeting with a greater appreciation of the Sabbath. I also wonder how many of them will look forward to coming to church next week, and the week after that and next month, next year or...

and thank God for the snow, to boot!

Not to say that there wasn't a better answer, but perhaps a a more winsome way of delivering the message

That's a hard one to answer. Its one of those situations where half the adventists would condem and the other half have no problem with it. I quess it comes down to how you feel about it, and how you plan to deal with it or even want to deal with it. I personally have no problem with that. But I think each one of us is in a different place in our christianity or should I say our relationship with God. So than the question would be did the elder deal with the situation correctly by losing it and probably yelling at these kids. Just my 2 cents worth.

pkrause

Laz, the problem wasn't all of what you said but that you included the word "FUN". We all know that we musn't have "FUN" on the Sabbath. Anything "FUN" is breaking the Sabbath big time.